


Calling All Heroes

by PinkDevastatia (QueenJar197)



Category: American Dragon: Jake Long, Ben 10 Series, Danny Phantom, Kim Possible (Cartoon), Life and Times of Juniper Lee, The Secret Saturdays
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-02-10 09:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12908889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenJar197/pseuds/PinkDevastatia
Summary: An old and powerful device is uncovered which attracts the attention of villains from all walks of life (or afterlife). Luckily, Earth's greatest heroes are here to defend it and any other relics that threaten the safety of humanity. However, they're not the only ones who are working together; the villains are trying their hand at teamwork too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so terrible at titles but hey. This is really just a mashup of some of my childhood heroes and possibly some of yours as well. Hopefully I don't destroy anyone's childhoods. Characters may be added as the story progresses but do tell me if I missed any tag. Thanks for reading.

Ben lounged across the couch, playing Sumo Slammer Gold Edition on his handheld game console. The Plumbers had restarted using Mount Rushmore as their base of operations. It was busy throughout the base as they were keeping eyes out in case Vilgax returned but they allowed him the use of the communications hub while they were out doing grunt work. He did have a job though, making sure to receive any distress signals that came through. It was boring stuff but at least he could play his video games without Grandpa or Gwen disturbing him.

Grandpa was somewhere on the upper deck while Gwen had gone all the way to Middleton for the unveiling of some ancient relic. She had tried to convince him to go with her. Luckily, Ben knew a trap when he saw one and smelled the snooze fest from a mile away. He had told her clearly and politely that he'd rather get a nuclear wedgie each day than travel with her. She had rolled her eyes and called him a complete doofus and he had informed her that she was the biggest dork on earth.

Gwen had been gone a few days now and although the first few hours were the greatest gift bestowed on him, by the next day he had grown bored out of his skull. He hated to admit it, but playing Sumo Slammer without his obnoxious cousin telling him not to play it wasn’t as fun as he thought. He did still play it non-stop for hours, but it really wasn't the same.

The door to the hub burst open. From the corner of his eye he could see Grandpa yelling, frantic. He took off his headphones and was greeted by a blaring alarm. Looking around him, he could see the flashing red light from the giant screen in the wall. An emergency. How had he missed that?

"I can explain," he started but Grandpa simply shook his head, pressing a button to answer the call.

Azmuth flickered onto the screen.

"Tennyson, I have been trying to reach you for ages."

Grandpa glared at Ben before turning back to the Galvan. "I'm sorry Azmuth. Is something wrong?"

"Of course! The Cypher has been activated."

"The what?" Ben asked from his place on the couch.

"The Cypher. A device I created while working on the Omnitrix. Its purpose was to scan and record data on various species in the universe. But it was lost during transport to Galvan B. A few millennia ago, its signal reached me, and I was prepared to come and retrieve it. However, the Earth was a new planet, and your species were primitive to say the least. I did not wish to alter your technological progression. Eventually, the Cypher grew silent again."

"But it's started up again," Grandpa stated.

Azmuth nodded. "With Vilgax still evading you Plumbers, such a device cannot be left unguarded."

"What do you want us to do?" Ben asked.

"You, Ben, will travel to its location and extract it. You will keep it safe until I am able to collect it myself. I'm sending co-ordinates now."

A map popped up on the screen. "Middleton?" Grandpa said. "Isn't that where the Chalice is being unveiled?"

Ben groaned. "You mean that dorky lame-fest? That's where this Cypher thing is?"

"Maybe it is the Cypher," Grandpa said. "After all, Azmuth, you said the signal reached you a while ago."

"One thousand, two hundred and fifty-three years ago to be exact."

"Well, what if whoever activated it messed around with it and put it inside this chalice? And then they buried it in Middleton."

The alien considered this. "But why would they do that?"

"Maybe they were scared," Ben suggested, hardly looking up from his game. "You said it yourself, humans back then were pretty primitive. Probably freaked and figured the best thing was to get rid of it."

"It is possible," Azmuth agreed. "But it is not important. What matters now is that you disable and contain it. Are the Omnitrix's master controls still enabled?"

Ben dropped the handheld onto his face. He smiled sheepishly when he rose from the couch, face flushed. "I may have disabled them, actually. But it was totally not my fault!" he corrected.

"Never mind," Azmuth said. "Use one of the Plumber's ships."

"Try not to create an incident," Grandpa said. "That Chalice is now a national treasure."

Ben nodded and ran off to the docking bay, calling out a "See you Grandpa, bye Azmuth," over his shoulder.

"He'll do fine," Azmuth said. “He’s our best choice.”

"It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself and not me," Max remarked.

"I am."

 

"Just go in, grab the Chalice while no one's looking and bring it back to Azmuth. Hopefully I don't have to even see the dweeb while I’m here." Ben was just entering Middleton airspace. The streets below him were teeming with people all converging on the museum, news vans and camera crews littered across the pavement.

A small podium stood in front of the building and on it sat a golden goblet. It was lined with strange runes and markings but other than that, it was unimpressive. The podium itself was guarded by half a dozen imposing guards.

He landed the ship in a deserted street. Glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one was watching, he ducked into an alley.

"Come on Omnitrix," he said, turning the dial. "Give me XLR8." Satisfied, he pushed on the button and slammed the watch.

He could feel the stretch as his bones elongated, his skeleton morphing into that of a creature from another world. His skin felt tight as it tried to retain itself even as the muscles underneath bunched and pulled. It eventually transformed as well, given no choice while under the complete control of the alien device. In a flash of green, Ben was no longer standing at his usual 4'5 feet. Instead he was towering over the ground, heavy and hulking.

"Diamondhead?" Ben complained. "What am I supposed to do with Diamondhead? Just walk up and take the cup? Stupid watch," he groaned.

Sighing, he started for the museum, determined to just walk up to the podium and take the Chalice. If anyone had a problem with it, they just had to deal. He had barely made it two steps when something grabbed him from behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey. So here's the much awaited (by me) second chapter! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Warning for violence.)

"Legend says the chalice was the last known relic of the great Sumerian Empire before it was hidden away." Sam was reading the pamphlet as they walked through the crowd, trying to get as close to the front as possible.

"Why would they hide a chalice?" Danny asked.

"No, the empire," Sam said, managing to swerve around two running kids despite being engrossed in the pamphlet. "After something called the Great War, they just vanished, but not before hiding their secret weapon."

"What's the weapon?" Tucker asked.

"Doesn't say." Sam shrugged, folding the pamphlet. "It's probably all fake anyway but this Chalice is centuries old. Whether it has mystical powers or not, it's still the greatest find of the decade."

They found a spot where they could just see the chalice, gold and gleaming in a glass case. Cameras shuttered around them while the crowd waited for the mayor to come on stage. History as a subject wasn't Danny's forte, nor was he remotely interested in the torture. He had to admit, however, a centuries-old treasure lost and finally recovered was quite impressive.

It would not be too long before the mayor came up, so Danny was pleased to wait. After all, it was a bright day with a clear, blue sky. A light breeze blew a caress on his cheek, crawled up his spine and gripped him in ice. He shuddered as the frigid air crawled up his throat and out of his mouth.

"Ghost," he whispered. Sam and Tucker stood up straighter, scanning the crowd for the culprit. Danny did the same, eyes darting to and fro.

It seemed hopeless. The ghost may well have been invisible, and anyway, he couldn't fight them out here with all the people and cameras watching. And who knew, maybe the ghost wasn't here to cause trouble. Maybe they just wanted to see the new attraction.

His eyes returned to the chalice on the podium just in time to see it glow and shudder. And then, nothing. But a suspicious peal of laughter rang out.

Danny left his friends and the crowd to find a more private place to transform. The same cold shudder ran up and through him, freezing in his blood and numbing his fingers. He took a breath. He'd gotten used to going ghost after doing it for so long but sometimes the warm air turning icy as it flowed into his lungs came as a shock.

He faded out of sight and floated up to the museum. Phasing through the roof, he found himself in the middle of the museum's art exhibit. Exquisite paintings hung on the walls while sculptures stood in various poses. He drifted to the far wall where a plush, red curtain hung from the ceiling. Holding his breath, he pulled it away, finding his reflection staring at him from a large mirror. He released the breath, turning away as a second figure appeared in the mirror, grabbing him before he could even react.

She flung him across the room and into a sculpture of a giant vulture. It crumbled to dust as Desiree towered over him.

"My my my, you should really be more careful," the genie ghost said in her lilting voice. "These are national treasures."

"Desiree. Is your lamp part of the exhibit too?" Danny smirked despite the throb in his shoulder where he had slammed into the sculpture. "Or was it too old and dusty to make the cut?"

"I’m just a fan of ancient relics," she said casually, circling around. He matched the movement, keeping her in his sights. "I'm quite partial to the more powerful objects,” she continued. “And the Chalice of Kydah would make a fine addition to any collection."

"Too bad you won't get it."

"That remains to be seen," she smiled, pulling down a lever on the wall.

Glass walls rose around the various artworks while jets of water poured from the sprinklers above. The whine of an alarm was deafening.

"Looks like you're in trouble again, Ghost Boy." Desiree smiled a toothy grin before phasing through the roof.

Rolling his eyes, Danny faded out of sight and followed her out of the roof.

“You know, this is getting really old. Maybe not as old as you are but definitely up there."

He scanned the area. The people below were clamouring as police cruisers approached. The guards around the chalice had drawn their weapons. What good they would do against a ghost, he didn't know or care. It was true that he was getting bored of this routine. Just once he'd like to do something fun without an ectoplasmic entity sneaking up behind him. Speaking of...

Desiree had stalked behind him, but he was done playing games. He turned and landed a vicious punch to her jaw. Her head whipped back with a crack and he threw another punch at her. She caught his wrist, lifting him high and slamming him into the cement of the roof. He gasped painfully as she brought him up and down again. The second bang flashed bright behind his eyelids. He breathed heavily, drawing a shuddering breath into his lungs. She brought him up by the captured wrist to face her and he willed his eyes to remain open. Despite his efforts, it was difficult to remain alert as she swung him back down towards the hard rooftop.

He fell to the concrete and something gave a horrible crack. He couldn't stop the shift. His ghost body returned to its human form and he wondered if this more fragile from would survive the brutal punishment.

He braced himself for the next swing, but it never came. The ghost was enjoying this and would take pleasure in seeing him broken but he would not give her the satisfaction. He opened his eyes to glare at her. However, she was not towering over him as he'd expected. Instead, she was at the edge of the roof, pushed back by the plasma beam of the Fenton Wrist Rays Sam was wielding.

Tucker ran up to Danny. "Are you okay?"

Danny knew his best friend was only concerned but the sharp and jagged pain in his side made it difficult to contain the snarky "do I look okay?" that threatened to spill out. Luckily – if you could call it that - he doubted he could even speak without his lungs falling out of his mouth, so he kept quiet.

Mustering all his strength, he rose to his feet and approached the ghost that was now half lying on the concrete. She was obviously weakened by Sam's attack, her breathing laboured. Still, unnervingly, she was laughing. The trembling of her shoulders became unstable as her laughter became manic. In her hands was the golden Chalice of Kydah. Danny transformed back into his ghost form - whatever she decided to do with the Chalice, it wouldn't be good.

Smiling evilly at the trio, she threw the Chalice over their heads. They watched it fly over as the ghost used their momentary distraction to make her escape. Tucker raced for the ancient chalice, catching it while Danny grabbed her, flinging her away into a water tower nearby. The tower burst open, sending a torrent below. Screams of panic tore through the air as the water flooded the street and Danny was torn between stopping the weakened ghost and saving the people below. However, he couldn't let anyone get hurt because of his actions. He dove for the little boy being swept away by the current.

He grabbed the trembling boy and flew above the flood, holding him close. Before he could check if the child was alright, Desiree slammed into him from behind. The boy was wrenched from his arms, and Danny was powerless as Desiree held him in a chokehold. He watched in horror as the screaming child plummeted to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to put this here because "Put your best foot forward" but:  
> I am so bad at writing fight scenes. I did my best though and I do hope I did my favourite ghost child justice. Thanks again for reading and I hope to see you all again soon :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good sup my lovelies! Look what I found just lying around, chapter 3!

The boy's scream pierced the air as he fell a hundred feet from the roof. While Danny struggled against Desiree, Tucker and Sam sped to the edge of the roof. Danny shut his eyes. Too late. They would never get to him in time. Even as Desiree squeezed him ever tighter, he could only focus on the shrill scream. A violent shudder jolted him as the sound abruptly cut off.

He trembled, unwilling to open his eyes until the crowd below erupted into cheers. Desiree growled, frustrated, and Danny cracked open an eye. The boy wasn't lying lifeless on the concrete as he had feared. Instead, he was in the arms of a red-headed girl. Her eyes widened when she looked up at them, but the look was replaced by one of fierce determination as she placed the boy in the arms of a blond about her age. Free of the shaking child, she ran across the sidewalk towards the museum before his vision clouded over. With Desiree currently squeezing his every breath out of him, he quickly blacked out.

 

Kim aimed the grapping hook at the roof and pulled her way up to where two kids were watching helpless as a... woman…? clutched a boy in mid-air, suffocating him. She aimed the grappler to the Chalice held at the woman's side by a piece of silk. Pulling the Chalice away, she distracted her enough to drop the boy from her grasp. He fell to the roof where the two kids hurried to his side. The genie glared at Kim and the Chalice she had stolen as if deciding whether to fight for it. Ultimately, she decided to leave it, instead vanishing into thin air.

Kim turned to the boy. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, he croaked. “Thanks for the save.”

“Don’t mention it. Are you alright?” she asked the hyperventilating boy in the red beanie.

“You’re Kim Possible! I am such a huge fan. Could I have a picture?”

“Uh, sure?”

He was by her side in blinding speed and snapped the picture.

“Sweet,” he proclaimed. “Perfect for the Possiblog.”

“Careful before you scare her away, Tuck,” the girl said, coming to pull the boy away. “Hi, I’m Sam.” She held out a hand which Kim gladly took. “That’s Danny and this is Tucker.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kim said. “So, what are you guys doing up here anyway?”

Before she could get an answer, however, the service door burst open, and a preteen girl bounded out, her dog running after her.

"Quickly Juniper, take the Chalice before they activate it," the dog said.

Kim blinked, looking to the others to check if she was feeling alright. They all looked at the dog with varying degrees of horror and confusion so at least even if there was something wrong, she wasn't the only one. It didn't help that the girl – Juniper – did exactly as the dog instructed, walking up to Kim and taking the Chalice. Kim was too shocked to stop her.

Juniper hefted the Chalice in her arm and started for the door but at the faces of the people on the roof stopped short.

"What's up with you guys?" she asked.

"You know your dog can talk, right?" Tucker asked, still bewildered.

The dog and the girl glanced at each other before Juniper let out a hysterical laugh. "A talking dog? That's ridiculous. Monroe can't talk. Can you boy?" She nudged the dog with her foot.

"Oh, uhm, of course. Woof woof, bark, growl."

"Wow, that's convincing," Sam said as Juniper rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Well it isn't my fault you children are playing around with ancient magical artefacts,” the dog said. “Somehow you have activated the magic of Kaida. Now give it here so I can deactivate it and you lot can go back to pretending that you never saw anything."

"No wait" Sam said. "What can you tell us about the Chalice?"

"I can tell you that a bunch of teenagers should not be playing with it."

"Yet you expect us to leave it with a dog?" Tucker said.

"A dog with centuries worth of knowledge, thank you very much," Monroe sniffed.

"There's a very dangerous ghost that's after that Chalice," Sam said. "If you tell us, we'll be more equipped to keep it safe."

"Ghost?" Kim repeated.

Danny nodded. "Desiree. She must have activated it somehow. Which means she knows what this thing is and how to use it. If it is magic - not that I believe that for even a second - it's too dangerous to leave unguarded."

"Did you say you don't think this is magic?" Sam asked.

"What, you do?"

"Well, yeah. How else do you explain the talking dog?"

"Microchip," he shrugged.

"Or we could be hallucinating," Tucker suggested.

"You can't be serious. You fight ghosts. You’re half ghost."

"You're a ghost?" Kim asked.

"Half?" Juniper said.

Danny glared at Sam who muttered a small "sorry".

"Ghosts can easily be explained by science," Tucker said. "Or they can be studied by science. Magic is just a cheap excuse to try and explain the stuff we can’t understand."

"Like that?" Juniper pointed to a large, crystalline monster riding on a red drone. Other sleek, deadly drones in their wake.

"Exactly,” he said. “Wait, what is that?"

"Whatever it is, it's about to crash into that building." Danny rose and dusted himself off, flying after the creature.

"Do you think he has a plan?" Kim asked. Sam and Tucker shook their heads. "Then we have to get those civilians out of the way." She looked down at Juniper. "How old are you?"

"I do this sort of thing every day," Juniper said.

Kim would have argued with her if the kid wasn’t walking around with a talking dog. She seemed to be dealing with much bigger things than...

"Wade, what is that?" she spoke into the Kimmunicator while she grappled her way down to the sidewalk.

"Not much information other than first person reports," Wade said. "Online reports claim extra-terrestrial. According to witnesses, he's a friendly. Calls himself Diamondhead."

"And the robots?" Kim asked as she helped an old lady out of the way of a piece of concrete dangerously close to falling.

"Sightings began at about the same time as the alien. They are not on our side."

Ron came running up to Kim. "What'd I miss?

"Giant alien is fighting killer robots, met two ghosts, and I also met a talking dog."

"Are you okay, KP?" Ron asked, concern lining his face.

"I'm not sure myself," she said. "But right now, we have to get these people out of here."

"Can do," he said, bounding off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short, I know, but I've already started working on the next few chapters so fret not. As ever, I do so appreciate you reading and I hope you have an awesome rest of existence!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, first things first... I am so sorry for flaking. I wished I had an excuse but... Furthermore, I have no clue where we're going, but I have told myself this story will not be defeated and we will get to the glorious end. Thank you so much for sticking with me though. But now, on to Chapter 4! (If you can call it a chapter...) Thanks for reading!

Fighting the drones had been brutal and yet victory was proving to be more painful. The cameras flashed ceaselessly, blindingly. The reporters had taken a thousand pictures and Danny was sure half of them featured him squinting against the glare. From what he could tell, his fellow heroes were getting just as irritated as he was. Even the mayor of Middleton’s left eye was starting to twitch. The only one who was truly enjoying the hero treatment was “just call me your hero” Diamondhead.

“Just one more picture. Get my good side. And now my other good side.”

Danny, aware of the shuttering cameras, kept himself from rolling his eyes. Juniper wasn’t so forgiving. Her irritation shown so plainly on her face Danny wondered how the papers would put a positive spin on it.

Thankfully, the cameras died down as Mayor Holden walked up to the podium, waving dismissively.

“Thank you, heroes!” she laughed into the mic amid the cheers of the crowd. Adopting a calmer countenance, she said, “This dig, uncovering ancient treasures of the fallen Sumerian empire, is the most important event in all of Middleton’s history. We have spared no expense in its security. Unfortunately, we did not expect the appearance of ghosts, actual ghosts. And aliens!” She chuckled but the crowd was murmuring. “Do not worry. To help keep those ghastly ghouls at bay is Amity Park’s Invisobill!”

A handful of claps while Danny groaned in mortification.

“Also, from way out of space, this giant rock alien.” More applause, growing louder as Diamondhead flashed the audience a wider grin.

“And last but certainly not least, our very own Kim Possible.”

The crowd lost it, calling out random “I love you’s” and apparently forgetting the threat of ghosts and extra-terrestrials.

“These heroes and many other brave people have saved this day. And to honour them, we have named them the official guardians of Middleton and they are always welcome at City Hall.

A few more pictures with the mayor and Danny was done. The crowd was to leave as the mayor explained just what being “Guardians of Middleton” entailed. Soon the ordeal would be over. However, a charged hush fell over the crowd, followed closely by frantic camera flashes. The crowd was excited, but Danny’s blood ran cold.

He spotted the culprit easily enough. He was sauntering towards the podium, silver hair slicked back, wearing an immaculate suit and a grin plastered to his face. The crowd parted around Vlad Masters almost reverently.

“The Guardians of Middleton,” Masters drawled. “It has a nice ring to it.”

“What are you doing here Masters?”

The man turned his too-bright grin on Danny.

“Daniel,” he murmured so that only Danny could hear. “I hardly expected to see you here. How is your mother?”

“Married.”

“Easy fix,” the creep shrugged and turned to Kim. “The Kim Possible,” he said. “An honour to meet you. I am a huge fan.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” she said. “I love your work, especially your contributions to the conservation of wildlife in Minnesota. You’re the real hero.”

“You’re too kind,” Vlad smiled. “Though I will admit national treasures are my heart. That’s why I came in the first place.” He walked over to Juniper and the Chalice in her hands, his eyes gleaming. “The Chalice of Devastation. Lost to the world for centuries, finally uncovered. You children have saved a very powerful object. May I?”

He reached out to take the Chalice. Luckily, Danny stepped in front of him.

“No.”

“Surely such pettiness is beneath us, isn’t it?” He sighed. “Very well. Call me if you ever need anything. Vlad Masters is always eager to lend a hand.”

"Make sure Vlad Masters keeps his hands off that Chalice," Danny whispered.

"Let me guess," Juniper said. "Not what he looks like?"

“The fruit loop? No.” He frowned. “If both Desiree and Masters are after this thing, it's trouble."

"Why would a wish-granting ghost even need a magic Chalice?" Tucker asked.

The mayor took the Chalice from Kim. "It seems you heroes have a mystery to uncover. This Chalice is part of a collection of Sumerian relics and we are set to uncover more. This city would be in your debt if you could help us keep them safe until the dig is over, and we have secured all the objects. Just until summer is over."

"I don't think we can," Sam stated.

"I can," Danny argued.

She pulled him towards her. "What are you doing?"

"Getting out of summer school," he replied. "And the best part, Lancer can't punish me for protecting the city."

"That's Danny _Phantom_. What excuse does Danny _Fenton_ have?"

 

 _Congratulations Sweetie on your Internship at the_ DALV _group_ , the message read.

It was scarily easy to lie to his parents. Sam and Tucker had strung the story together while Jazz had convinced their parents and Mr Lancer that it was "a huge opportunity that he couldn't pass up." A few minutes and it was set. His parents thought he was interning at DALV while he shared a small dorm with two other people and a crime-fighting alien. It was far from normal, but it wasn't all that weird, compared to the usual stuff.

"Pictures at City Hall," the alien said, walking into the room. A mechanical wail sounded as a red light blinked on his chest. Two seconds and he vanished into a green light, leaving behind a green-eyed kid in his place.

"Uh...oops."


	5. Chapter 5

If the supervillain industry were better stocked with more competent employers, Shego would have dismissed Drakken ages ago. She was tempted to just drop him now. Unfortunately, there weren't many places to drop off an application letter and anyway, no one had as many resources and vision for villainy as the evil doctor. He was a moron – she was painfully aware – but only he could guarantee she’d be released from prison on "good behaviour" if ever Kim Possible ever caught them.

Drakken was giddy with excitement. His gleeful giggles echoed off the walls of the cave as he rubbed his hands maniacally. While he was bouncing on the balls of his feet, Shego was keeping an eye out for danger because apparently, Drakken failed to consider that this secret meeting in a dark cave in the middle of nowhere was a trap. It was obvious considering the message she had found said, “come alone.” The only reason Shego was even there was in case the “genius” needed errands run. Maybe that monkey guy wouldn’t be so bad to work with…

The cave was cold and dank, shrouded in darkness apart from a few torches lining the walls. In the cave stood four hooded figures. The largest wore a skull of an animal on his head while the two shortest tried to feign dignity. Shego could tell they were idiots by their posture alone. The other had piercing blue eyes that drifted around the cave. Wary of suspicious surroundings, Shego decided. Smart.

Aside from them was a grey-faced man. Big hair with a cape, Shego would have written him off as a nutjob. However, he bore the confident grin of someone who had full command of a room, even this cave full of imposing figures.

“Welcome,” the man beamed. “I am Plasmius and this is the legendary Huntsclan. We have been expecting you.”

“Sorry,” Drakken said. “We got held up.” Translation: he held them up. “But I am here now so we can begin.”

“Not you,” he said. Turning to Shego, he said, “You.”

“Her?” Drakken asked.

“The famed Shego. Kim Possible’s greatest foe.”

“Actually, _I_ am Kim Possible’s greatest foe.”

“Your reputation precedes you, Dr Drakken. Your intelligence may be unmatched but compared to Shego, you are no more than a thorn in her side. And that is being generous. Miss Go, however, you belong with us.”

“Thanks for the invitation,” Shego said. “Though I’ve got to say, not loving the dark and mouldy vibe.”

“This is only a temporal meeting place, I promise you. Now we just have to wait for my friend to arrive and-”

“What friend?” the hooded girl interrupted.

 “This one,” a voice said as if in answer to her question. A gust of wind blew into the cave, snuffing out the torches. Shego stood on guard, fingers lighting up with her Glow.

 “Ever the dramatic,” Plasmius said. “Please turn on the lights so we can see you, Desiree.”

The torches lit once more, so much brighter it may have been daylight.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my friend Desiree.” He gestured at the floating being dramatically. Pot, kettle.

Shego drew the heat back into her palms while the Huntsclan drew their weapons, getting into formation. Desiree glared.

“Forgive me,” Plasmius said. “I have promised Desiree that you will spare her.”

“The Huntsclan has made no such promise. Why should we honour yours?”

Desiree smiled then. “Because Huntsmaster – it is Huntsmaster, is it not? – I have something you want.” She clicked her fingers and a golden goblet appeared before their eyes. “You know this Chalice, don’t you Huntsmaster? You know its power? You can have it if you want.”

“Really?” one of the boys asked but balked at the death glare from his master. “Sorry.”

The girl spoke up. “Why would you give it to us?”

Desiree shrugged. “I can’t use it. The Sumerians were very selective about who could use their most powerful objects.” She tsked. “But one of you is bound to have the right bloodline for it.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” the girl said, firm. “Why?”

“The ongoing dig in downtown Midtown is bound to uncover more of the Great Empire’s relics,” Plasmius answered. “Desiree has offered her services in retrieving them in exchange for just one item from the dig. I thought it was a small price to pay.” He turned away from them, arms clasped behind him. “The ancient world offers so much. Riches, treasures, unparalleled magical power, all for the taking. You have the right to refuse, of course, but I have to ask, why would you want to?”

And Shego thought, no, she didn’t.

 

 _Opulent_ , she thought. Much more comfortable than their usual haunts. Whoever that Plasmius was, he was evidently well connected.

Huntsgirl searched the hotel suite. She nearly turned the room over, leaving no nook and no cranny uninspected. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she stepped outside to give the Huntsmaster the all clear.

He brushed past her without a glance, standing before the large floor to ceiling windows. 88 and 89 trundled in after, struggling to carry the bags.

“Where should we put these?” 88 wheezed.

Huntsgirl rolled her eyes. The bags weren’t even that heavy, she knew. “Take them to the room,” she said severely.

They groaned but lumbered away. “And don’t touch anything!” she called after them.

“88 and 89 will benefit much being under your command, Huntsgirl.” Huntsmaster didn’t turn from the window.

“Yes Huntsmaster,” Huntsgirl said. “They will be the perfect soldiers by the end of this mission.”

“Evidently that mission has changed,” he said. “That magical abomination wants something more valuable than all the other relics combined. You cannot allow her to get it.”

“What about Plasmius?” Huntsgirl asked. “He must have thought about this?”

“If he is as competent as he appears, he plans to take it for himself. If he is a fool, however, the thought has not occurred to him. Whatever the case, your objective remains. Take the relic. Slay anyone who stands in your way.”

“What about them?” she inclined her head to the boys who had started bickering in the other room.

Huntsmaster turned. “Their mission remains.” With a sweep of his cape, he drifted out of the suite.

No sooner had one door closed than the other opened, admitting 88 and 89, apparently finished with their fighting.

“Hey, where’d the Huntsmaster go??” 88 asked. Huntsgirl blinked.

“Look 88, Huntsgirl thinks she’s special just because she’s in charge,” 89 snorted.

She narrowed her eyes and they each took a hasty step backwards.

“Oh, would you look at the time,” 88 said. “Need to get some rest if we’re going to be hunting magical creatures all day.” He yanked the door open and shoved 89 through it. “Goodnight Huntsgirl. You’re welcome by the way.”

With that, they shut the door, leaving Huntsgirl alone in the room. Locking the door, she pulled off her hood and loosed her hair from its tight braid. Rose looked out into the night, to the bright lights of the city below. She pressed her forehead to the cool window pane and watched until the world seemed to blur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ever, thank you so much for reading. Glitter and sprinkles!


End file.
